Integrated Pest Management strategy against Coffee Berry borers based on their dispersion capacity in North Sumatra, Indonesia

The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the world’s major coffee pest, affecting all producing countries. The population dynamics of this pest is closely linked to the phenology of the host plant, to climatic variations, and to the presence of on-farm biodiversity. In coffee producing areas in Central America characterized by a tropical-type climate, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs (without the use of chemical inputs) adapted to the dynamics of the pest, have been successfully developed and is effective in reducing the CBB populations and associated losses. However, these programs are not adapted to the equatorial conditions existing in some producing countries, particularly in Indonesia. In this country, the North Sumatra Province produces a high-quality coffee (Mandheling and Lintong) which represents 33.2% of the total volume of Indonesian Arabica coffee. This production is mainly ensured by small producers but is strongly threatened by relatively low yields and a strong crop degradation due to the infestation by the CBB. Populations of this pest occur throughout the year due to the absence of a marked dry season, a specificity to the equatorial climate, which favors the spread of the fruiting period. Absence of sanitation harvestings and post-harvest practices occurring within the plantations also favor high levels of in situ infestation. Arboreal and herbaceous biodiversity associated to coffee crops may have adverse effects on CBB populations mainly through its effect on microclimate.
In this thesis, we propose to better understand how the CBB population dynamics submitted to equatorial climate, can be modulated by producers’ practices (post-harvest practices, agronomic management of plots) and by on-farm associated biodiversity in order to propose adapted CBB IPM strategies. In particular, we will study the mechanisms of dispersal of migratory forms of the CBB by mark-release-capture experiments from existing infestation sites within the production systems in North Sumatra. Based on an interdisciplinary and inclusive approach, we will evaluate and set up effective CBB control programs compatible with sustainable coffee production in this region. To achieve this general objective, our approach and methods will be based mainly on farmers’ inclusion throughout the work using Companion Modelling Approach.
This thesis will build on knowledge obtained in recent years in the Lake Toba region, North Sumatra, in the framework of existing scientific cooperation between CIRAD, Institute Pertanian Boghor and IndoCafCo.